Well, just a few hours ago we posted the rumors circulating about the next fifth generation of the iPhone (might be called iPhone 4S or iPhone 5) that it would feature a bigger display, and the LED flash for the camera might be relocated to the corner separated from the camera. Now we have yet another rumor that the next iPhone might not be having the NFC support. NFC or Near Field Communication is the new standard that lets you exchange data between any two capable devices by just placing them in proximity. Users can tap NFC tags using their mobile phones to quickly read the data from the tag/poster or can pay fees at a restaurant or cafe just by waving their NFC-enabled phones closer to the receiver. Google’s Nexus S is the first and only NFC supported phone available in the market. RIM has recently announced that it will add NFC chips to its upcoming mobile phones.
With NFC gaining popularity in the US over the time, you would expect high-end smartphone manufacturers like Apple to support NFC in their next iPhone launch iterations. But looks like it is not happening in the immediate next iPhone 4S / iPhone 5 release. Business Insider has reported that according to Bernstein research, Apple won’t support mobile payments through NFC.
According to Bernstein, NFC can easily add $15-$30 billion additional revenue for high-end mobile phone manufacturers, and apple with 20% market share in the high end mobile market, could easily manage anywhere between $4-$9 billion revenue.
Though Business Insider didn’t quote any reason, it could be a case that Apple wants the NFC to become widespread in the US before they can even start offering it through their mobile phones.